A Conflicted Picture That Suddenly Trades Ideals for Action and Never Looks Back

Rating: 4/10 (6 March 2012)

Another sad example of an outright fantastic initial concept that's spoiled by attempts to shoehorn it into a stiff, static action movie formula. Like Paycheck and I am Legend, this works very, very well for as long as it sticks near the premise, but then bursts into a flaming wreck somewhere in the second act and cartwheels absurdly to the finish line. While the getting's good, it's the most I've enjoyed a Michael Bay movie since The Rock - its high production values make for a convincing, well-structured vision of an elegant futuristic lifestyle. Never one for nuance, Bay actually manages to imply something (an unshakable sense that something's just not right) without spelling it out in bright, bold letters for the audience. It's tough not to embrace a vision so seamless, complete and beautiful. But then the other shoe drops, and it lands with a startling thud. Suddenly we've left behind the intellectually challenging modern Logan's Run atmosphere and we're mindlessly running from a faceless gun-toting enemy, a path of fireballs and demolished automobiles in our wake. Bay takes that as a cue to fall back into his old form and trots out an endless supply of jump cuts, violent action sequences, clunky character moments and bold, excessive product placements. The picture straight-up jumps the tracks, bowls over a herd of buffalo, sails off a cliff and erupts before it can hit the ground. A major disappointment, it's worth watching for roughly the first hour.